In a groundbreaking ruling that will have far-reaching implications for separatist movements around the world, the International Court of Justice found Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence to be lawful.

The long-awaited ruling is now likely to lead to more countries recognizing Kosovo’s independence and move Pristina closer to entry into the UN. At present, 69 countries recognize Kosovo’s independence but it requires more than 100 before it can join the UN.

Key considerations that the UN’s top court examined – arising out of dozens of submissions by UN member states as well as by Kosovo’s own leadership – have focused on issues of sovereignty, the slim volume of precedent in international law, and how formerly large states such as the USSR broke up along administrative borders.

Serbia has continued to demand Kosovo be returned, arguing it has been the cradle of its civilization and national identity since 1389, when a Christian army led by Serbian prince Lazar lost an epic battle to invading Ottoman forces.

The ruling is expected to have profound ramifications on the wider international stage, bolstering demands for recognition by territories as diverse as Western Sahara, Northern Cyprus, Somaliland, Nagorno-Karabakh, South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Transnistria.

From the end of the war and Serbian violence in 1998 until the unilateral declaration of independence in 2008, the former victims were the perpetrators. Thugs, gangs, and terrorists carried out repeated acts of violence, destruction of holy sites, and a genocide against the Serbian people in the Kosovo province.

Destroying churches and replacing them with empty and unused mosques changed the historical and religious landscape of the province, helping the Kosovar political argument that the Serbs had no claim to the territory.

The forceable movement of over 250,000 Serbs, Roma, and other minorities helped to cleanse the territory of non-Albanian Kosovars.

For years, I have argued that an independent Kosovo is not only dangerous to Europe but also fully illegal under international law and a dangerous precedent. My friends and colleagues Tony Arend and Charles Pirtle — legends in the field of international law and sovereignty — of agree.

The present record of rule of law, protection of the rights of religious and ethnic minorities, and the return/resettlement of internally displaced persons by the Provisional Authority of Kosovo — all of which are indispensable for democratic governance — have been gravely unsatisfactory since the establishment of the KPA.

From the systematic destruction of over 200 ancient Christians sites to the targeting of Christian clergy to the trafficking of women, children, drugs, and weapons, Kosovo is the black hole of human rights in Europe, in the words of Amnesty International. Minority communities in Kosovo are continually at risk of ethnically motivated killings and assaults, Amnesty International also said as it launched its report “Prisoners in our own homes.”

Organized crime remains a daunting problem in Kosovo and the Balkans, one linked very closely to security issues and terrorism. Sex trafficking and the drug trade are leading troubles.

Even the Canadian Security Intelligence Service states that, “Organized criminals have also been linked to terrorist groups.”

The ICJ today guaranteed the establishment of a failed state in Southeast Europe. The international community’s recognition of Kosovo’s independence set a dangerous precedent for secessionist movements worldwide.

Professor Arend has not yet released a full assessment of the decision. I will post that here when he does.

The following two videos should give a shocking reality to the actual horrors of human rights in Kosovo: